How to Respond to an RFP - Request for Proposal: The Guide to Success

Summary

Proposal (pro·pos·al [pruh-poh-zuhl]) noun: the act of offering or suggesting something for acceptance, adopting or performance.

A Chinese philosopher wisely once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." For consultants and small firms, that step is often writing a proposal. As an independent consultant, you will inevitably hear the words, "send me a proposal." However, the real results come in mastering the details of how and when to deliver yours to a potential client.

Many professionals make the mistake of equating proposal activity with sales activity. Proposal development is not a give-away activity, but rather a strategic tool to gain business. It is far better to deliver one proposal a month that gains business than to develop five without a single win.

Like resumes, winning proposals must be grammatically corrected, spell-checked and visually appealing. But more importantly, they must specifically address your prospect's needs and offer a clear solution tailored to your potential client. And also like resumes, the real work of your proposal happens before you ever begin writing it.

In this 10-page, downloadable guide, we'll take you through how to write a proposal step-by-step. You will learn how to gather the right information before you ever begin writing so that you can deliver a targeted, relevant proposal. You will also learn how to gain the competitive advantage by asking the right questions and avoid time-wasting "requests for information," or "RFI's," disguised as opportunities.

Use our expert tips to avoid the top-10 proposal writing mistakes and learn the ins and outs of proposal pricing strategy. This free guide even includes aproposal checklist and sample proposal for your use.

With the tips and resources in this guide, you will have the confidence to not only write and deliver proposals, but qualify the opportunities that come your way.

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